Written by: Dan Watters, Greg Rucka, Mariko Tamaki, Tom Taylor
Art by: Mikel Janin, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Amancay Nahuelpan, Bill Sienkeiwicz
Colors by: Mikel Janin, Arif Prianto, Giovanna Niro
Letters by: Wes Abbott, Ariana Maher, Tom Napolitano
Cover art by: Mikel Janin (cover A)
Cover price: $5.99
Release date: August 20, 2025
Detective Comics #1100, by DC Comics on 8/20/25, celebrates the Dark Knight's milestone with four tales of Batman's exploits throughout Gotham City.
Is Detective Comics #1100 Good?
First Impressions
Well, well, well. DC decided to pull out the creative big guns for a milestone anthology issue that has a little bit of the best of Batman for everyone. Is it a perfect issue? No. Not by any means, but it is better than the average Batman fare.
Plot Synopsis
Lost and Found
A young boy plasters Lost & Found posters around his neighborhood for information on his lost dog. Batman finds one of the Lost & Found posters while chasing down a robber and decides to help. When the Caped Crusader visits the boy's home to request information about the lost dog, he happens to rescue the boy from a near car accident. The incident informs Batman that the boy is deaf, which is why he didn't hear the truck coming down the street.
After a sign language conversation, Batman learns the boy's dog was taken by thugs walking through the park as the boy was playing with his dog. With the help of Ace the Bat-hound, Batman tracks down the missing dog's trail, beats up the thugs, and returns the dog to make a little boy happy.
Tom Taylor's silent issue is a well-executed, one-and-done tale of Batman doing a good deed to help a boy in need. Mikel Janin, in truth, pulls off the heavy lifting to communicate what's happening through the visuals, but the concept is perfectly fine.
As a down note, the boy is deaf but apparently lacks sense because he chose to do chalk drawings in the middle of a busy street, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to hear a car coming. Deaf people are not stupid, so it's unclear why Tom Taylor chose to portray this boy as such.
Your Role In The Community
Bruce Wayne decides to make a rare appearance at a ceremony dinner honoring the men and women who serve Gotham City through their donations and their philanthropy. As the usual pundits, journalists, and organizers scurry to make the evening smooth, especially when Bruce's last-minute appearance catches them off-guard, the story is intercut with scenes of Batman chasing the Joker on a motorcycle through the rainy streets of Gotham City. The Joker gets away, but Batman saves the life of one of the tireless philanthropists who later receives an award at the Dinner.
Mariko Tamaki's short story focuses on the dichotomy between the ways Bruce Wayne serves Gotham through his money and Batman serves Gotham through his crimefighting. The journalist seated at Bruce's table is obnoxious in his unwarranted attacks on Bruce for the crime of being rich, but it's a serviceable tale, elevated by Amancay Nahuelpan's hard-hitting art.
The Knife & Gun Club
A pair of doctors talk in the emergency room break area after a rush of new patients entered the hospital, supposed criminals taken down by Batman. The younger doctor laments the amount of damage Batman and his allies inflict. The older doctor explains how the endless parade of cuts and concussions used to be an endless parade of deaths called The Knife & Gun Club. The tale ends with the older doctor secretly helping Batman with an injury, also reminding him that he has made a difference.
Greg Rucka's conversational short story reminds the readers that violence isn't preferred, but if it has to happen, it's better to take the lesser of two evils. Plus, Alvaro Martinez Bueno's artwork looks fantastic.
The Fall
Batman leaps off a skyscraper after a serial killer who would rather die than get caught. During the fall, Batman thinks through the experience of a deadly fall, an experience the serial killer is encountering for the first time. The vignette ends with an uncertain outcome.
Dan Watters's tale isn't technically a tale but a moment in time that affirms how much Batman knows about falling from great heights. I suppose that's interesting as an experience, but it's hard to say if it qualifies as a short story, especially when the ending is undefined.
That said, legendary artist Bill Sienkiewicz adds his talents to this vignette, which makes it worth perusing for the visuals alone.
What’s great about Detective Comics #1100?
Anthologies are prone to being a mixed bag of great and terrible stories. Thankfully, this issue is good to great on the whole. Artwise, The Fall takes top marks. In terms of writing, Greg Rucka's hospital visit feels the most like a Batman story that elevates the character.
What’s not great about Detective Comics #1100?
Tom Taylor's silent story takes up the most pages but is easily the most flawed, which leaves a sour aftertaste from the beginning. Creating a silent story about a boy who is deaf is admittedly clever because it works on multiple levels, but the plot suffers from missteps.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Detective Comics #1100 is a commendable anthology that celebrates the world's greatest detective with an anthology that highlights Batman's impact on the everyday people of Gotham City. This comic isn't flawless, but each story is at least good enough to enjoy, and the artwork is worth the cover price.
7.5/10
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Detective Comics have always been an exciting opportunity to escape into a world of justice and mystery. The writing and artwork never cease to amaze, and plunging into a classic issue provides a much-needed mental break when balancing academics and looking for HR Assignment Writing Services for support!
ReplyDeleteFvck off bot.
DeleteTom Taylor story is lazy virtue signalling.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Batman give a crap if the boy was deaf.
Taylor is still riding the train of "deaf people are marginalized in society" that was popular a few years ago...even though there are accommodations they have access to, and types of deafness that can be cured. (Even though theres a whole "deaf community" that reject cures and treatments because deafness is their identity but i digress)
Blind people don't get this treatment..because the very performative, very patronizing virtue signalling has to be literally *seen* so people like Tom Taylor and pat themselves on the back for how inclusive and progressive they are...while actually being bass ackwards.
Candy Clicker is a great choice to kill time, both gentle and brings a sense of achievement.
ReplyDeleteThis review gives a thoughtful look at Detective Comics #1100, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. It’s interesting how the reviewer appreciates Greg Rucka’s “The Knife & Gun Club” for its moral depth and human perspective on Batman’s impact, contrasting it with “The Fall,” which is more abstract and atmospheric. The commentary about anthologies being a “Grow A Garden” feels accurate—there’s always a balance between standout stories and weaker ones.
ReplyDelete